The Transfer Credit Process
What is Transfer Credit?
Transfer credit may be granted for a course taken at an accredited post-secondary institution recognized by 51Æ·²è (OC) provided that the course grade is at least 50% and provided that an equivalent OC course exists. Transfer credit is granted as closely as possible to specific OC courses. General or unassigned credit may be granted, at the discretion of the department, in the event that no equivalent 51Æ·²è course exists. Credit will not be granted when courses have no general equivalent course or discipline, the course cannot be applied to any OC program of study and/or credential, or the course does not meet the academic standards of the College.
Where an exact OC equivalent does not exist, general or unassigned transfer credit may be granted as closely as possible to the originating course, either at the subject level (i.e. ENGL), faculty level (i.e. ARTS), or general elective level (UNCR). Unassigned credit will indicate the equivalent subject code, year level and credit value. I.e. HIST 1st (3).
| Direct Equivalent | Other institution English 111 | OC English 100 (3) |
| Subject Level | Other institution English 134 | OC English 1st (3) |
| Faculty Level | Other institution Theatre 100 | OC Arts 1st (3) |
| Unassigned Credit | Other institution Visual Arts 100 | OC UNCR 1st (3) |
If you were granted with an unassigned transfer credit, contact an education advisor or your program department to check for possible course substitution towards your program.
When to Request for Transfer Credit?
Transfer credit requests will only be evaluated after you accept your Admission Offer and submit your official transcript. Transcript evaluation services before admission is currently not available. Processing of transfer credit can take up to six (6) weeks, depending on the volume of requests and the submission of required documents. Students will be notified through email once transfer credit is complete.
The deadlines for requesting transfer credit are:
- July 15 for the Fall semester
- November 15 for the Winter semester
- March 15 for the Summer semester
How to Request for Transfer Credit?
Please submit a . Official transcripts (signed and sealed) issued within the past six months (if not already on file) should be directly submitted by the transfer institution to the Registrar’s Office by mail or email to transfercredit@okanagan.bc.ca.
If the courses your wish to transfer to 51Æ·²è are not listed in the above search, you must submit the along with detailed course outlines (syllabi) for each course. Use the Transfer Credit search tool above to check for OC equivalent courses or visit the .
Evaluation of transfer credit may incur fees:
- Transcripts from BC Institutions – free of charge
- Transcripts outside of BC (within Canada) - $50 per transcript
- International transcript - $150 per transcript
Important Notes
Please view our complete Transfer Credit Policy and Procedures.
- Not all courses carry credit in all programs.
- Some programs do not allow for transfer credit.
- Transfer Credit may be re-assessed upon application to another program.
- Courses to be considered must have been successfully completed at an accredited post-secondary institution.
- 51Æ·²è does not accept transfer credit for courses completed 10 or more years before the date of application.
- If you receive transfer credit for a course which duplicates current enrolment, it is your responsibility to withdraw from the course.
Course equivalency requests
Students who have attended 51Æ·²è in the past may request course equivalency once they have accepted their offer of admission to a subsequent program.
- Course equivalency may be re-assessed upon admission to another program.
- Courses to be considered must have been successfully completed.
- If course equivalency is granted, it may be used as a prerequisite unless otherwise indicated.
- 51Æ·²è reserves the right to deny course equivalency for courses completed 10 or more years before the date of application.
- If you are registered in a course for which equivalence is granted, you must submit a Course Change/Withdrawal form to the Registrar’s Office. Withdrawal from a course is not automatic.
- Evaluation services prior to admission are currently not available.
- There is no evaluation fee.
Please note, the deadlines for requesting course equivalencies are:
- July 15 for the Fall semester
- November 15 for the Winter semester
- March 15 for the Summer semester
Students requiring course equivalency to be assessed for graduation should submit their request as early as possible in order to prevent any delays in processing graduation.
Please submit a form, signed by the Chair of the of your program, to the Registrar’s Office (Kelowna) or Administration Office (Vernon, Salmon Arm, Penticton).
Frequently Asked Questions about Transfer Credit
Transfer credit is when one institution recognizes education completed at another. If you get admitted, and if the courses you’ve taken are a good match, you can use the credits you’ve already earned to fulfill some of the requirements for your credential – BC Transfer Guide 2021.
You become eligible for transfer credit consideration when you have accepted an offer of admission from OC or are enrolled in an OC program, and the Registrar’s Office (Admissions/Transfer Credit) has received all your official transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions.
An official transcript is a permanent record of your studies issued and sent directly to the Registrar’s Office (c/o Admissions/Transfer Credit) by the previous institution(s) either as a physical document in a sealed envelope or secured digital file from approved institutions. Official transcripts for transfer credit must be issued by the transferring institution within the past 6 months if not previously received by the College.
Check the BC Transfer Guide for transferrable courses. It is important to note that not all transferred courses carry credits toward a program. Consult an education advisor before completing the to ensure that the courses are credited towards your program.
Complete the . Your official transcript should be directly sent by the transfer institution to the Registrar's Office by mail or email to transfercredit@okanagan.bc.ca.
Students can provide a detailed course outline (preferably during the term the course was completed) to transfercredit@okanagan.bc.ca for OC faculty’s review. Please note that it is not guaranteed that the transfer credit will be approved. The course outline should have the following details:
- Course description
- Required readings
- Assignments and method of evaluation
- Topics covered/weekly lecture schedule
- Textbooks used
- Learning Outcomes
- Instructor and their credential (for post-secondary only)
- Evaluation of transcript from BC institutions is free.
- Transfer credit for non-BC institutions within Canada costs $50 per transcript.
- Transfer credit for international institutions costs $150 per transcript.
Transfer credit requests will be processed as soon as possible but may take up to six (6) weeks depending on the volume of requests. When the transfer credit is finalized, students will be emailed with a statement outlining the transferred courses they received. Students can also check their transfer credit in their .
Consult an education advisor or check your program residency requirements to know the total transfer credits allowed for your program.
No, grades for transfer courses will be marked as TRF on OC’s official transcript. They are not calculated into the cumulative GPA and graduating grade average (GGA).
If your transcripts and course outlines are in a language other than English or French, they must be translated by a certified translator. The original and translated documents should then be submitted to the transfercredit@okanagan.bc.ca along with the transfer credit request.
A letter of permission allows an OC student to take a course in another recognized post-secondary institution and transfer it back to OC. The LOP must be issued by your program department and forwarded to transfercredit@okanagan.bc.ca.
Please contact an education advisor to get more information about your program and the transfer credit process.